Method and apparatus for loading thread advancing rolls



March 13, 1951 s. w. BARKER ,0

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING THREAD ADVANCING ROLLS Filed Dec. 8,1947 Inventor Svnun WARREN BARKER 'R-BQW A llorney Patented Mar. 13,1951 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOADING THREAD ADVANCING ROLLS SydneyWarren Barker, Colne, England, assignor to Lustrafil Limited, Nelson,England Application December 8, 1947, Serial No. 790,286 In GreatBritain December 17, 1946 7 Claims. (01. 28-715) This invention relatesto the continuous processes for the spinning and treatment of artificialthreads, and in particular to such processes in which the thread issuingfrom the spinneret traverses a pair of inclined rollers for storing andadvancing the thread in the form of helical loops, during which traversethe thread may undergo coagulation, washing, desulphurisation,hardening, drying and the like treatments.

The rollers in such processes are mounted on shafts set at or adjustableto the desired inclination to each other, and at least one of the pairof rollers is rotated by a positive drive. In some apparatus the shaftsare supported atone end only, but even in those cases, it is foundadvisable to connect the free ends with a rigid (sometimes adjustable)distance piece to prevent disturbance of the even running of the threadby changes in the inclination of the shafts to each other. It is muchpreferred to have the shafts supported at both ends, but this involvesadded difliculties in starting up at the beginning of the process orafter a break in the thread.

Whether the shafts are supported at one end or at both ends, everystarting upvinvolves leading the free end of the thread by hand over theguides and rollers to the collecting device; all parts of the machinemust therefore be readily accessible for manual adjustment of thethread, and much space is thus wasted.

I have now found that these difficulties may largely be eliminated andconsiderable economy of space effected by providing a circumferentialgroove or flange at the initial or thread-receiving end of one orpreferably of both of the pair of rollers, which serves to maintainpermanently in position an endless belt, rope or loop of flexiblematerial adapted to serve as a thread starting means in a manner whichwill now be described.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of one embodiment of applicantsinvention; and

Fig. 2, in which only an end of one of the pair of rollers is shown,illustrates diagrammatically another form of the invention.

In Fig. 1 a pair of thread-storing, thread-advancing rollers l, 2, areshown mutually inclined to each other at a somewhat exaggerated anglefor clarity. A thread 3, which is undergoing processing, is disposed ina helical path about rollers l and 2 to which it has been carried, aswill be explained hereinafter. An endless belt or loop 4 of flexiblematerial tautly encircles the thread-receiving ends of rollers l and 2,at which point it is permanently maintained b engagement withcircumferential grooves 5, 6, provided in rollers l and 2, respectively.As here illustrated, advancing thread 3 is shown in the process of beingcarried along the pair of rollers by wrap 7, whereby it assumes itsnormal helical path about said rollers. This wrap consists ofsuperimposed loops of the thread which are allowed to accumulate,initially, on top of belt 4 in grooves 5 and 6, and the wrap issubsequently released by rolling it out of these grooves onto the plainsurfaces of the rollers. Wrap 1 then begins its traverse, due to theinclination of the rollers, to the opposite end of the rollers asillustrated.

Instead of groove 5, a circumferential flange 8 may be provided onroller l as illustrated in Fig. 2, in which roller 2 is not shown butmay be flanged in like manner. In this case, belt 4 is maintained at thethread-receiving ends of the rollers by the flange, and the thread wrap(not shown) is initially formed on the belt as before. The wrap is thenpermitted to traverse the rollers by lifting it over the flange 8.

On starting up, the clot of coagulated material accumulating near thespinneret in the coagulating bath, for example, is passed over the guidehooks to the first roller, where it is tucked under or round theflexible belt between the latter and the surface of the roller, the clotbeing preferably wrapped round the belt so as to secure some adhesionbetween them. The belt carries the thread round and round the pairs ofrollers without advancing along them, being kept in position by thegroove or by the flange. In this way a wrap comprising a plurality ofloops of the thread is built up on or adjacent the belt or loop, andowing to the plastic condition of the thread at this stage the severalloops are consolidated into a wrap which may be of any desired degree ofsubstantiality. When the wrap has reached an appropriate strength it ispushed or rolled out of the groove, or over the flange, on to the plainpart of the rollers, and being detached from the belt, it at once beginsits traverse of the pair of rollers, carrying with it the on-comingthread from the coagulating bath, the belt of flexible materialremaining in position in the groove or behind the flange. At the end ofthe traverse the wrap is easily broken and removed from the rollers ator near the thread discharging end, and the thread which has beencarried with it'is passed to a collecting device or to further rollersor guides as desired.

For belt 4 I may use rubber or other elastic material, or any flexiblematerial, e. g., wet string,

not affected by the treatment liquid. It may be round or flat incross-section.

The method of the invention is particularly useful in the continuousspinning of artificial threads by the wet process, but it is alsoapplicable to all manufactures in which a thread is made to traverse inhelical loops a pair of rollers whose working surfaces are mutuallyinclined to provide storing and advancing means for the threadundergoing treatment. Where an already coagulated thread is beingsubjected to treatments on such a pair of rollers, I find it convenientto tie the thread to the belt of flexible material, and in that casewhen the wrap formed of a plurality of loops of thread is pushed orrolled out of the groove, the attachment to the belt must be broken oruntied.

The belt of flexible material is positioned sufficiently near to theinitial ends of the pair of rollers as not to interfere with the feed ofthread to the rollers after starting up.

The inclined rollers maybe cylindrical, conical, stepped or of anydesired contour. Similarly, it will also be apparent that in place ofthe circumferential grooves or flanges on the rollers, other suitableguide means, operatively associated with at least one of the rollers,may be employed to permanently position the belt at the thread-receivingends of the rollers.

I claim:

1. In a processfor the continuous manufacture of thread, the method ofconducting the thread initially along a pair of rotating rollers whoseworking surfaces are mutually inclined for storing and advancing thethread in a helical path about said rollers, which comprises attachingthe on-coming thread toan endless belt of flexible material maintainedpermanently in position adjacent the thread-receiving ends of saidrollers, allowing the oil-coming thread to build up a wrap comprising aplurality of loops of said thread on said belt, moving said wrap oiTsaid belt onto said rollers andidetaching it from said belt, allowingthe wrap to traverse the length of said rollers carrying with it theon-coming thread, and at the end of the traverse severing the wrap andremoving it fromsaid rollers.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1,-in which said belt is maintainedpermanently in position by means of a circumferential groove in at leastone of the rollers of said pair, and said Wrap is lifted out of saidgroove when the former has reached a sufliciently substantial thickness.

3; The method as claimed in claim 1, in which said belt is maintainedpermanently in position by means of a circumferential flange on at leastone of the rollers of said pair, and said wrap is lifted over saidflange when the former has reached a sufficiently substantial thickness.

4. Apparatus for the continuous manufacture of thread comprising a pairof rotating rollers whose working surfaces are mutually inclined toprovide means for storing and advancing said thread in a helical pathabout said rollers, an .endless belt of flexible material tautlyembracing said rollers at a position adjacent the threadreceiving endsthereof, and guide means operativel associated with at least one of saidrollers for maintaining said belt permanently in said position.

5. Apparatus as defined'in claim 4, in which at least one of saidrollers is provided with a circumferential groove adjacent itsthread-receiving end for engaging said belt and maintaining it adjacentthat end of said rollers.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which at least one of saidrollers is provided with a circumferential flange adjacent itsthread-receiving end for engaging said belt and maintaining it adjacentthat end of saidrollers.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, in which the flexible materialofwhich said belt is formed is elastic and unaffected by the treatmentliquid to which the thread is subjected.

SYDNEY WARREN BARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 894,593 Callan July 28, 19082,136,556 'Lovett Nov. 15, 1938 2,350,182 Nefi -r May 30, 1944

